This invention relates to oxidation of aliphatic olefins. In one aspect it relates to catalyzed oxidation reactions. In another aspect it relates to compositions containing lithium used as aliphatic olefin oxidation catalysts.
Acrolein and methacrolein are valuable starting materials for the synthesis of chemicals useful in textile finishings, paper treating and the manufacture of rubber chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plasticizers and synthetic resins. One of the largest single uses for acrolein has been the preparation of the amino acid, methionine. Acrolein and methacrolein can be prepared commercially by the oxidation of propylene and isobutylene using various type catalysts such as cuprous oxide, mixed oxides of bismuth, molybdenum and cobalt, oxides of antimony plus other metals, combinations including tungsten oxide and a silver selenide. Among other multiple-component catalyst systems that have been reported for the oxidation of propylene to acrolein are those reported in U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,325 which describes a catalyst system of V.sub.2 O.sub.5 /SnO.sub.2 /P.sub.2 O.sub.5 for use in the air oxidation of propylene to acrolein in the presence of steam and U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,550 which discloses a process of air oxidation of propylene to acrolein using a catalyst that is based on the oxides of Sn and P to which is also added the oxides of Mo, Te and Fe. In none of the patents discussed above is lithium used in conjunction with other metals in an aliphatic olefin oxidation catalyst.
The catalyst system described in this invention has been known for use in the oxodehydrogenation of olefins. These catalysts have also been used in processes in which alkenylaromatics such as styrene are oxidized to aromatic aldehydes such as benzaldehyde, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,732, and the preparation of furfural, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,078.
It is an object of this invention to prepare aldehyde from aliphatic olefin. It is another object of this invention to provide a catalyst suitable for preparing aldehyde from aliphatic olefin.
Other aspects, objects and the various advantages of this invention will become apparent upon study of this specification and the appended claims.